You often hear Henning May before you actually see him. His voice sounds deep, rough, and older than the man it belongs to. It can whisper, creak, break, and in the next moment, fill an entire concert hall. It was precisely this voice that made AnnenMayKantereit one of the most successful German-speaking bands of their generation. However, it doesn’t alone explain why the group has resonated with so many people for over a decade.
Behind the band’s recognizability lies a history that didn’t begin with a casting call, a marketing strategy, or a ready-made career plan. Christopher Annen, Henning May, and Severin Kantereit met at the Schiller-Gymnasium in the Sülz district of Cologne. In 2011, they formed their band, performing at school events and starting as street musicians. Their last names combined to create a band name that initially seemed awkward but later became a well-known term in German-speaking pop music.
Today, AnnenMayKantereit plays in arenas. However, some essential elements from their early years remain: live music, a visible friendship, a distrust of flawless perfection, and lyrics that create intimacy not through grand metaphors, but through concrete observations. At the same time, Henning May has changed. He has evolved from a singer who long considered political engagement a private matter into a public voice against right-wing extremism, racism, and humanitarian indifference.
Three school friends become a band
The early history of AnnenMayKantereit is closely linked to Cologne. The three founding members played outdoors, in meadows and on street corners. There was no elaborate stage technology there, nor protection from an indifferent audience. Those who stayed were drawn in by the immediate impact of the music. These years shaped a working style in which playing together remained more important than a flawless studio production.
During a jam session, the double bassist Lars Lötgering initially joined. Later, Malte Huck took over the bass and remained a part of the band until 2020. Since 2022, Sophie Chassée has been supporting AnnenMayKantereit live on electric bass. On tour, they have also been joined by brass players, string players, and other musicians. The core of the band remained Christopher Annen on guitar, Severin Kantereit on drums, and Henning May as the singer and pianist.
In 2013, the band released a self-recorded album. Some of the recordings were made in the atmosphere of their street music days. Videos on YouTube spread songs like “Wohin du gehst” far beyond Cologne. This was followed by festival appearances, tours as support acts for Beatsteaks and Clueso, and the EP “Wird schon irgendwie gehen,” which was recorded live with producer Moses Schneider at the Hansa Studios in Berlin.
Success came without a ready-made career plan
In 2016, “Alles nix Konkretes” marked a major breakthrough. The album reached number one in Germany and Austria. Songs like “Pocahontas,” “Oft gefragt,” and “Barfuß am Klavier” combined reduced arrangements with lyrics about separation, family, restlessness, and the difficulty of expressing feelings clearly. The band sounded approachable, without becoming completely predictable.
“Schlagschatten” followed in 2018, “12” in the pandemic year 2020, and “Es ist Abend und wir sitzen bei mir” in March 2023. The most recent studio album once again reached the top of the German charts. What had started as a street music trio had long since become a major live act, but the arrangements retained a noticeable sense of space. Piano, guitar, drums, and May’s voice did not have to disappear behind a dense production.
Collaborations also expanded his reach. Henning May sang the chorus of K.I.Z’s “Hurra die Welt geht unter,” was featured on Juju’s number-one hit “Vermissen,” and recorded a version of “Tom’s Diner” with Giant Rooks, which went viral internationally. He fit into hip-hop, indie, and pop without having to neutralize his voice.
A voice between vulnerability and strength
May’s rough baritone is often compared to that of older blues, soul, or rock singers. However, what’s more interesting is how he uses it. The voice doesn’t just sound strong; it also sounds physically vulnerable. Breathing, friction, and imperfections remain audible. This makes even simple sentences feel like private confessions that accidentally reach a large audience.
This quality complements the band’s lyrics. AnnenMayKantereit often writes about apartments, trains, kitchens, relationships, and memories. The political aspects were initially less visible than the personal ones. However, even the early songs dealt with origins, belonging, and the question of what makes a home. Later, the social context became more prominent.
The success also had a downside for May. In interviews, he spoke about constant stress, a lack of privacy, and the unsettling feeling of having realized a childhood dream without automatically being satisfied. Tours meant great emotional moments, but also constant proximity, responsibility, and the loss of everyday anonymity. This ambivalence became a central part of his songwriting.
Henning May was born in Cologne in 1992
Henning May was born on January 13, 1992, in Cologne, as Henning Gemke. He grew up with his brother and his father. He later chose the name May, his father’s surname, as his stage name. In conversations, he describes his relationship with his father as formative. It is part of the biographical background that makes the emotional accuracy of many songs more understandable.
At the Schiller Gymnasium, he met Christopher Annen and Severin Kantereit. The school, with its music programs, provided a space where making music together could naturally flourish. After graduating, the three of them chose not to pursue a traditional career path in the music industry. They formed a band and got to know their audience directly, initially without the distance between the street and the stage.
May has lived in Berlin for several years, but remains strongly connected to Cologne artistically. This is evident not only in the band’s history, but also in songs like “Tommi,” where the city appears as a concrete emotional landscape. For AnnenMayKantereit, Cologne is not just a replaceable place of origin; it is part of their sound.
The year 2020 changed his political language
Henning May later stated that the racist attack in Hanau in February 2020 triggered a significant political learning process for him. Nine people were murdered for racist reasons. May began to delve more deeply into right-wing extremism, systemic racism, the NSU complex, and the failures of state institutions. He spoke not of sudden moral certainty, but also of the realization of his own ignorance.
Previously, he had consciously wanted to engage in political and charitable activities as a private individual. In 2020, this attitude changed. In an interview, he said that pure outrage and social media posts were not, for him, sufficient political action. Those who want to make a difference must organize, influence parties, support initiatives, and take concrete responsibility.
The album “12” documents this shift. It was created during the pandemic and deals with themes of loneliness, social anxiety, political anger, and the question of how crises are unequally distributed. The title asserted that it was no longer five minutes to twelve. For the band, the critical present had already arrived. Nevertheless, May did not describe AnnenMayKantereit as a protest band. The political aspect appeared as an expansion of their perspective, not as a new brand image.
Activism as concrete action
May’s commitment is evident in several publicly documented decisions. He is a member of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and appeared at a party anniversary event in 2020. That same year, AnnenMayKantereit participated in the global Fridays for Future climate strike in Berlin. Later, the band performed at a vigil for the village of Lützerath, which was threatened by coal mining and has since been cleared.
European refugee policy also became a focus. In 2020, AnnenMayKantereit participated in “Los für Lesbos,” a fundraising campaign for organizations on the European external borders. During the SOS Sessions, the band held a benefit concert for SOS Méditerranée. May stated at the time that the band had supported the financing of a rescue boat through the concert.
In interviews, he also expressed his support for Reporters Without Borders and his membership in Greenpeace. He particularly criticized the humanitarian situation in the Moria refugee camp. He was concerned that the suffering of refugees often only received public attention when a disaster had already escalated.
At the end of 2024, a donation of 95,000 euros from May to Bündnis 90/Die Grünen was publicly registered. Because large donations must be reported if they exceed the legal threshold, the amount was made public. This made it clear that his call for institutional engagement was not merely rhetorical.
A stance without the pose of a moral authority
An interesting aspect of May’s political development is the apparent contradiction. He uses his platform, yet simultaneously questions how much individual prominent voices can actually change. He criticizes performative online activism, but he is aware that even his own public statements become part of media self-representation. He does not attempt to fully resolve this tension.
His positions had personal consequences. In 2020, he reported on right-wing extremist threats against the band, as well as a specific threat against a family member. Precisely because of this, he warned against downplaying right-wing networks and the radicalization of so-called “lateral thinkers” as marginal phenomena. For him, publicity was not only a means of political influence, but also a risk.
However, it would be inaccurate to define Henning May solely based on his party membership, his donations, or individual campaigns. His activism arises at the intersection of music, personal learning, and political organization. He does not present himself as an expert on all topics. What is more relevant is his willingness to correct past reticence and make his own position publicly verifiable.
The band remained larger than its frontman
The distinctive voice ensures that Henning May is often seen as synonymous with AnnenMayKantereit. However, the band’s history is one of a long-standing friendship and a collective working style. Christopher Annens’ guitar playing and Severin Kantereit’s rhythm create the space in which May’s voice can resonate. The live musicians have significantly expanded this space since 2022.
It is precisely this balance that protects the group from becoming a mere singing platform. On stage, proximity and interaction are central. Even in large arenas, something of the street musician principle remains: a song must work without complicated explanations, people must listen to each other, and the moment must be allowed to remain audibly imperfect.
After the disruptions caused by the pandemic and the 2023 album, AnnenMayKantereit returned in 2026 with a major tour. Many dates sold out early. This shows that their music now accompanies several life phases of the audience. Those who discovered the band as teenagers with “Oft gefragt” now hear different layers in the same themes surrounding family, relationships, and responsibility.
AnnenMayKantereit will be performing in Vienna on September 19th
On Saturday, September 19, 2026, AnnenMayKantereit will be performing at the Wiener Stadthalle. Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the concert starts at 7:30 PM. The official tickets for this event are currently sold out. The band explicitly warns against tickets from the black market and only recognizes tickets from the official resale platform. Discounted social tickets are also available for Culture Pass holders.
This concert in Vienna brings a band to the city that has gone from Cologne street corners to large venues, without completely smoothing out its origins. In the spotlight will once again be the voice that made Henning May famous. However, what is now crucial is what he is willing to say with that voice.